The PUBLIC Contest Winner: Lauren Gerrie

May 10th, 2010

“Oftentimes people will ask if it is hard to ride a bike in heels. It’s not,” Lauren says. “In fact, it makes wearing heels that much easier because your feet hurt less from not having to walk around. I put together my outfits based around the assumption that I will be riding my bike. This opens my world of options up tenfold. I tell you what, a girl cannot stand/walk around this city in 4″ stilettos for that long, but she sure as hell can ride in them for hours on end.”

Meet Lauren Gerrie. She is our kind of PUBLIC advocate. And winner of the PUBLIC contest.

She came to New York to dance professionally and later co-founded her own company, bigLITTLE Get Together, to provide contemporary urban cuisine for unique occasions. The bigLITTLE team use their bicycles for their shopping adventures.

Lauren cruises Lower Manhattan by bicycle because it’s economical and faster than other modes of transport. She even commutes at 5 am to her other job as pastry chef in Williamsburg at Marlow & Sons/Diner. From her East Village apartment, she crosses the bridge and gets to work in seven minutes door to door, while enjoying the silence and beauty of a city that is mostly still asleep.

What does Lauren like to do for fun? Lauren says, “Late night rides with a pack of friends, everyone decked out in the their finest threads, wind blowing through their hair, laughter filling the thick humid air, jumping from party to party, roof top to roof top, then locking up at 5am with the sun rising and listening to the birds waking up. Perfection.”

We’re excited to meet Lauren when several of us will be in New York City later this month for our launch ride and event. She’ll also be giving us a bike tour, inspired by her online contest submission, on her new PUBLIC M3.